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Shortly after 708 dancers sat down for the first time in 46 hours, they stood again to cheer when the 17 members of the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon overall committee revealed the total money raised -- $7.49 million.
During Family Hour Sunday afternoon, Meredith Kirby said since she danced in Thon as a student, she had always wanted to experience it again.
The floor of the Bryce Jordan Center reached maximum capacity Saturday night during the Thon pep rally as the curtains that covered the top section of the stands were raised to accommodate thousands of supporters.
As the rules and regulations committee began to block off sections of the Bryce Jordan Center floor Sunday morning, dancers became curious.
Mike Ducker Jr. (senior-mechanical engineering), a first-time dancer, could be seen on the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center wearing a yellow 10-gallon cowboy hat all weekend.
For 19 consecutive years, Larry Moore has been the man at the center of the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon, as both DJ and unofficial mascot.
Here are some highlights of the bizarre and humorous outfits worn by dancers, moralers and visitors to the floor.
Penn State football players showed their softer sides as they scooped ice cream, signed autographs and spent Saturday afternoon giving tours of the Lasch Football Building to 15 Interfrater-nity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon families.
Standing in a circle holding hands, dancers tried to pass a Hula-hoop by climbing through the hoop limb-by-limb without breaking the chain as part of the Color Wars finale Sunday morning.
At about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, dancers wiped sleep from their eyes and took up offers for piggyback rides in an effort to revive themselves as the 34th hour of the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon approached.
For the Miller family, who lost their daughter Kyla to cancer in 2007, Thon is a bittersweet experience.
Each year, Thon reuses its tables on the floor, and many have been decorated with notes and dancers' thoughts. Here are some excerpts from the many messages left by upbeat dancers and moralers:
If Hank Angus tells a story about traveling miles uphill in the snow while withstanding brutal winds, he's not exaggerating.
The Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon wouldn't be a dance marathon without the music. Live bands and music from DJ Larry Moore kept the dancers entertained throughout the 46-hour event.
During Thon, kids and dancers dotted the floor of the Bryce Jordan Center bouncing balls, blowing bubbles and squirting water guns, providing some of the best memories of Thon for participants.
Dressed in red, rules and regulations committee members guarded entrances at the Bryce Jordan Center during this year's Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.
Police and Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon security saw few incidents throughout the weekend, police said, with disruptions limited to a handful of intoxicated individuals.
After 708 dancers sat down for the first time since Friday evening, the Thon overall committee revealed this year's total one digit at a time: $7,490,133.87. Updated 4:15 PM
Thon raised $7,490,133.87 this year, which will be donated to the Four Diamonds Fund.
Mike McCauley said no matter how you word it ... "the sentence always ends the same, cancer free." Updated 2:51 PM
Charles Millard, founder of the Four Diamonds Fund, spoke during Family Hour. Penn Staters also remembered Four Diamonds children who lost their battles with cancer and sang "Angels Among Us."
Joe Paterno spoke at Thon Sunday afternoon around 1:45 during Family Hour.
Thon dancers and spectators enjoyed a performance by Go Go Gadjet and a stomping routine Sunday.
As Thon 2009 winds down, the Color Wars winner was announced and dancers and spectators were treated to the second Family Variety show.
Dancers stood in a circle as they held hands and tried to move a hula hoop around the circle without breaking the chain ... Updated 7:19 AM
As the Rules and Regulations committee began to block off sections of the floor, dancers became curious. Updated 4:09 AM
The 2009 Thon pep rally gave dancers a chance to revisit their childhoods. Updated 12:28 AM
Athletes pump up the Thon dances by preforming on stage.
Early Saturday night Thon dancers were treated to Kids' Mail Call, Spaghetti and Marshmallow Towers and the Family Variety Show.
Thon continues through its second afternoon.
Thon kids get an inside look at the Lasch Football Complex and players.
Kids threw a football, wrestled and played golf with their favorite Penn State athletes during Athlete Hour ... Updated 2:45 PM
The Homecoming 2009 Executive Committee revealed the 2009 Homecoming theme ... Updated 1:46 PM
Visitors wait in long lines to get floor passes during Thon 2009.
The kids of Thon 2009 strut their stuff on stage Saturday morning in the BJC.
There's nothing mini about mini-Thons. Updated 11:22 AM
Thon dancers talk about how they're feeling about 16 hours into Thon 2009.
Excited dancers bounced from mattress to mattress as they shouted and took pictures ... Updated 3:27 AM
The first night of Thon 2009 in the Bryce Jordan Center.
Thon 2009 kick-off began outside the Bryce Jordan Center. Inside, the Nittany Lion performed right before the overall committee counted down to Thon 2009.
Sixteen runners gathered on the Thon stage at about 8 p.m. after completing a 135-mile relay ... Updated 8:36 PM
Thon 2009 Line Dance will be preformed every hour during Thon.
At 6 p.m., as balls fell from the ceiling, 708 dancers rose to their feet for 46 hours of no sleeping and no sitting. Updated 6:07 PM
Thon committee members dressed in every color of the rainbow formed a human tunnel outside and through the Bryce Jordan Center for the 708 dancers to make their grand entrance. Updated 5:11 PM
Students busily set up the Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) Friday morning for Thon 2009, where more than 700 dancers will stand up at 6 p.m. today and not sit down until 4 p.m. Sunday. Updated 12:32 PM
Tonight, 708 dancers will stand up to pediatric cancer by staying on their feet for 46 hours.
For the past several weeks the 708 dancers participating in Thon 2009 have been preparing for 46 hours of no sleeping and no sitting.
For students going 46 hours without sleep this weekend, it might be difficult to make that 8 a.m. class Monday. Fortunately, for most students, professors recognize Thon's magnitude.
Editor's Note: This is the final installment in a four-part series detailing processes before, after and beneath the surface of Thon.
Today, Charles Millard, co-founder of the Four Diamonds Fund, will travel 3,000 miles from Washington state for his 32nd Thon.
This weekend, members of the School of Hospitality Management will serve more than 700 dancers during the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon while the dancers serve the kids.
Associate psychology professor Frederick Brown said going 24 hours without sleep is considered biologically equivalent to being intoxicated with .08 blood alcohol content. This weekend, Thon dancers will go almost twice as long without sleep.
Ian Rickenbach said Thon creeps up on alumni much more quickly because they aren't around to see the excitement building on campus.
For Four Diamonds child Mac Kretz, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor one year ago, the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon is about more than raising awareness and funding.
A look at the history of the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon shows tremendous growth in numbers, with more participants and more money for the kids with each passing year.
Editor's Note: This is the third in a four-part series detailing processes before, after and beneath the surface of Thon.
Attendees at this year's Thon might be able to breathe easier because of a new policy that requests people refrain from smoking 20 feet outside the Bryce Jordan Center. Project SmokeLess, a campus anti-smoking group, worked with the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Council Dance Marathon to implement the new regulation, said Sarah Wherry, co-leader and public relations chairwoman of Project SmokeLess.
Believe it or not, gym staff members say the lines at fitness centers really are getting shorter -- and not for the reasons students may think.
Editor's Note: This is the second in a four-part series detailing processes before, after and beneath the surface of Thon.
Those who came out to the Thon Band Bash last night at Café 210 West witnessed a preview to the music of one of the biggest annual events at Penn State.
The Thon Band Bash is an annual event that gives the gift of live music in return for a little bit of help for the kids.
Members of Ohana Thon have set a goal to sell 2,000 cups of coffee per week for four weeks in an initiative to benefit Thon, and today marks the beginning of week two.
Makeshift poker tables filled the basement of Atherton Hall for a gambling event. But the winnings weren't going into the players' pockets -- they were going to the kids.
Despite the snow outside Sunday, hundreds of students and families were enjoying all four seasons inside the White Building at the Seasonal Sensations Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon Family Carnival.
Saturday's rain could not wash out the feeling of hope among Penn State fans.
Today kicks off the first Thonvelope letter writing week, a way of fund-raising for the Interfraternity Council/Panhellenic Dance Marathon that is an untapped resource, said Mike Hacke, Thon overall chairman.
Thon Thanksgiving brought in 300 hungry guests Friday night to enjoy a buffet-style dinner.
There was a sea of white in the HUB-Robeson Center Wednesday as thousands of students donned 100 Days 'Til Thon shirts.
Kayla Fuller (senior-kinesiology) didn't want to go first -- but she didn't have a choice. With her friends cheering her on, she approached the bench and faced her fears for the kids.
